"Everything is under control?"
The cloaked figures exchanged startled glances, then kept their eyes on Jiang Wuji.
Jiang Wuji had always been a master strategist. If he said so much, then surely he really had a solution.
Thinking that, the atmosphere in the cave paradise eased a little. Quite a few people secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Lately, ever since the Immortal Great Emperor's Diary had been exposed,
they had been unable to eat or sleep in peace.
The Immortal Great Emperor was like a loach: impossible to kill, impossible to catch, and impossible to win over.
Now he had gone into hiding and produced a Diary, too!
At first, they hadn't caught on, but after what happened at Cangwu Mountain, they finally saw things clearly.
The Immortal Great Emperor meant to sever their roots and uproot them all!
It had everyone present deeply troubled.
The worst part was, they couldn't even find Lin Feng!
Jiang Wuji looked at the crowd and sneered. "There have been Great Emperors who sensed something was wrong and stood against us before!"
"And what became of them? They were all sent to the Underworld Sea."
He paused, his voice turning cold. "Stand against us, and you stand against the Immortal Court!"
Yet his words were met with silence.
Although they all understood what Jiang Wuji meant, instinct told them that this time, things were different.
In the past,
no matter which Great Emperor it was, however skilled or powerful they might be, they could hardly make waves.
That was because they had all fought alone.
The cultivators of the world knew nothing about it—and wouldn't have believed it anyway.
But this time was different. The entire Cultivation World had been thrown into turmoil, and every force had been stirred into action.
That was the most clever part of the Immortal Great Emperor's plan: with just one Diary, he had drawn the eyes of the whole world.
"What exactly should we do?"
Someone finally spoke up. That was what everyone wanted to know most.
Jiang Wuji picked up his tea and took a small sip. His expression gradually turned cold as he said,
"The Immortal Great Emperor wants to stay behind the scenes and control everything."
"He exposed the Diary to draw the attention of cultivators across the world, while letting the forces following Ye Xi and the others slowly wipe us out!"
Quite a few people nodded, waiting for him to continue.
Jiang Wuji went on,
"This plan looks impossible to counter, but it has one fatal flaw."
"And that is..."
As he spoke, a chilling aura burst from him. "Someone has to follow the Diary's contents and act according to his will!"
"What if we also make our move and eliminate these forces in the open, one by one? By then, how many people across the world will still answer their call?"
Inside the cave paradise,
silence fell once more.
They all sank into thought, exchanging glances before finally nodding.
"Exactly!"
"This plan will work. Since the war has already begun, we have to act too. Strike first and seize the advantage, or strike later and suffer the consequences!"
"What happened to the An Clan is proof!"
A figure beneath a cloak stepped forward to voice her support. The voice belonged to an old woman.
A moment later, the others expressed their agreement as well.
"Then we need to decide which target to eliminate first."
Jiang Wuji nodded and continued, "Based on the information we have so far..."
"Ye Xi, Great Emperor Zhitong, the Xuanqing Sect, the Jade Pool Holy Land, the Liyue Immortal Dynasty, the Primordial Holy Land, the Pei Clan..."
He listed the names without hesitation.
Clearly, he had prepared them in advance.
After finishing, Jiang Wuji swept his gaze around the room. "We can be nearly certain that these people and forces are on the Immortal Great Emperor's side."
A bloodthirsty smile spread across his face.
"We only need to wipe them out one by one. Not only can we eliminate the threat, we might even force the Immortal Great Emperor to show himself!"
The old woman stepped forward again and nodded. "As expected of Old Jiang the Schemer. When we need to get something done, we have to rely on you!"
"But..."
"What if these forces join hands? How do we counter them then?"
The others came around as well.
They had thought of the same problem.
Another figure stepped forward and asked, "That's right. Every name you just listed belongs to a force that's hard to deal with!"
"If they join forces, even all of us acting together might not be able to handle them, right?"
Silence fell again.
"Hmph!"
Jiang Wuji snorted and barked, "Do you think this is child's play?"
"This is a fight to the death!"
Jiang Wuji's expression was utterly solemn as he said,
"If we win, we continue to uphold Heaven's will and roam free for all eternity!"
"If we lose, we'll be uprooted and wiped out completely. Our bloodline will be erased!"
Everyone's breathing grew heavy. A grave silence filled the room.
Jiang Wuji continued, "So this time, there's no avoiding it. Even if we're completely exposed, we have to fight to the bitter end!"
"At worst, after this is over, we'll carry out another purge..."
"Heh. How much truth will be buried in the river of time? History is written by the victors. What memory does the Cultivation World have, anyway?"
His words sent a chill through everyone's hearts.
Another purge?
That would mean rivers of blood and a million corpses!
But by now, they had been driven into a corner. They had no choice.
Another figure sighed. "I agree with Brother Jiang's plan. The Immortal Great Emperor forced us into this. You can't blame us!"
Their opinions were quickly united.
They had no more reservations.
After further discussion, they settled on the first target to eliminate.
The Liyue Immortal Dynasty!
The Xuanqing Sect would normally have been the best target to strike first.
But this was a special time. Attacking the Xuanqing Sect now would cause far too great a stir.
So they chose the Liyue Immortal Dynasty instead.
Jiang Wuji pondered for a moment, then looked toward a figure standing at the back.
"Sect Master Lei, your sect is closest to the Liyue Immortal Dynasty..."
"The two sides often clash along the border. It'd be perfectly reasonable if this time the clash got a little more serious and things spiraled out of control, wouldn't it?"
Lei Jue's voice was booming as he laughed.
"Of course. Don't worry, Brother Jiang. I know what to do!"
Jiang Wuji nodded with a smile. Lei Jue was bold, meticulous, ruthless, and quick to act. He truly was the best choice to strike the first blow.
"Good. In that case, return and make your preparations!"
"Follow the plan to the letter!"
Jiang Wuji gave another reminder, then clenched his fist and declared proudly,
"Just remember: everything is under my control!"
What he was really thinking was that this was a special time, and he had to give his allies the confidence they needed.
After all, their opponent this time was stronger than ever!
Even Jiang Wuji would have to bring every last resource to bear and give it everything he had.
"Good! Hearing that from Old Jiang the Schemer puts my mind at ease!"
"Haha! No wonder everyone calls you the Ten Thousand Year Old Scheming Demon. The name couldn't be more fitting!"
"This time, I'm throwing caution to the wind too!"
"We have to force the Immortal Great Emperor out and show him what we're capable of!"
"Fellow Daoists, this old man will take his leave first!"
A moment later, figure after figure vanished from the cave paradise.
Central Province, Eastern Profound Domain.
This was a sprawling, unbroken mountain range, sparsely inhabited.
It was called the Heavenly Absolute Mountain Range.
It marked the border between the Liyue Immortal Dynasty and the Nine Absolutes Sect.
Both sides had deployed large numbers of troops there, sending their elite forces to hold the line.
For one thing, the two great powers had long been at odds and frequently clashed.
For another, the Heavenly Absolute Mountain Range contained many spirit veins, as well as ores and materials suitable for refining weapons.
It was also rich in all kinds of spirit herbs.
So neither side was willing to yield in the struggle for resources.
That day, the weather was clear and sunny.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Sss—
A piercing sound suddenly tore through the sky. In the distance, figures surged over like dark clouds, blotting out the heavens.
They descended into the Nine Absolutes Sect's territory at a terrifying speed.
At that moment, on a nearby slope,
Hua Hongyi stood beneath a tree, watching the scene in astonishment. "They really came. How did you figure it out?"
She glanced at Ye Xi, who was lying on the grass with his eyes narrowed, sunning himself.
This man was terrifying!
Hua Hongyi suddenly remembered that she had once been this man's opponent.
Just thinking about it made her hair stand on end and her scalp prickle.
It was a miracle she was still alive...
Besides, she truly admired Ye Xi beyond words. She couldn't even begin to express it.
With him, what could we possibly fail to do?
Even overthrowing the Immortal Court wouldn't be a pipe dream!
Hua Hongyi quietly murmured to herself, her resolve growing even firmer.
Ye Xi narrowed his eyes and said as if it were only natural, "Relax. These people are all useless trash!"
"What's there to be surprised about?"
"That old schemer Jiang Wuji—just seeing him open his mouth tells me what kind of shit he wants to eat!"
Hua Hongyi looked a little awkward. "Then should we make a move?"
"No need!"
"If I'm not mistaken, these people are about to have a rough time. They'll all be captured, castrated, and made into little eunuchs..."
The moment Ye Xi thought of Ye Qingge, his legs couldn't help trembling.
Hua Hongyi's expression turned strange. "..."
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